New North Sea oil field will boost supply chain for decades

Contracts worth more than $1.3bn have been awarded to UK suppliers as part of the start-up of a new oil field in the North Sea.

The $7.7bn Mariner field project will support 700 jobs and “generate significant revenue in the supply chain for decades to come”, according to Equinor, the firm operating the field.

Digital tools have been implemented in the field including automated drilling, digital twins and digitised logistics to support operational and maintenance planning.

Equinor said the field was expected to produce more than 300m barrels of oil over three decades.

A spokesperson told SM: “Over the field's estimated 30-year lifetime we will require ongoing services that include base services, supply vessels and logistics support, delivery of required goods such as materials and food and overall requirements related to running a large oil field off shore.

“These will all provide value creation for the supply chain in the UK.”

Hedda Felin, senior vice president for UK and Ireland offshore at Equinor, said: “Many have played a part in bringing Mariner onstream safely including our partners, contractors and suppliers, and we are grateful for their important contributions.”

Anders Opedal, executive vice president for technology, projects and drilling at Equinor, said: “With the start-up of Mariner, we have delivered one of the most complex developments in the North Sea and Equinor’s portfolio. We will continue to apply digital solutions and new technology to deliver safe and efficient operations and optimise production.”

In July the Scottish Government pledged £4m in funds to support the decommissioning of North Sea infrastructure. More than 1,465 wells and around 880,000 tonnes of platforms are due to be disposed of, reused or recycled over the next decade.

Source: CIPS